Sturbridge firefighter resigns amid town's continuing volatility

STURBRIDGE — A seven-year member of the Sturbridge Fire Department and rescue squad resigned this week, saying he no longer feels safe working there because the emergency agency is now run by unqualified commanders.

"This department needs leadership, and in the absence of experience, department members are in harm's way," Mr. Roppolo wrote. "If this department was serious about change and progress, it would have sought out experienced personnel for these positions and not filled them to appease a certain selectman." He did not name the selectman.

Mr. Roppolo resigned Tuesday. He had been appointed a full-time firefighter and emergency medical technician in 2007. He could not be reached for comment.

Selectman Thomas R. Creamer, the board's chairman, said Mr. Roppolo's resignation letter is of "no consequence" and serves as "nothing more than food for the paper shredder.

"Here is a man who served as union steward for three years, whose primary responsibility was the health and welfare of the membership, yet he instead played comatose to the deplorable and dangerous conditions that existed within the Fire Department under the former management team, as well as his watch as the union representative," Mr. Creamer said. "Now, when passed over for promotion by individuals more appropriately qualified, Mr. Roppolo cries foul, masking it as a sudden, yet fabricated concern about 'safety,' which he turned a blind eye to for years."

Chief Ford was named acting fire chief after a consultant's report harshly critical of Fire Chief Leonard E. Senecal was published in March. Chief Senecal retired in May.

"I feel the Fire Department is being led in a dangerous direction. From your position as chief, you have no formal or informal training as to the operation of a fire department — this can place department members at risk due to your inexperience," Mr. Roppolo wrote to Chief Ford and the town administrator.

Mr. Suhoski said Chief Ford has excellent credentials and is an excellent manager and he has the utmost confidence in his abilities.

"Anytime any department that is transitioning from a 35-year department head is going to experience some growing pains," Mr. Suhoski said. "But, in the care of Sturbridge, since the acting fire chief has been put in charge of management of the department and a former fire captain with 15-years-plus experience is brought in to assist us as deputy fire chief, the department has its first full set of standard operating procedures and standard operating guidelines that have been implemented under acting Chief Ford with a committee comprised of members of the department leading that effort. That, in itself, is a substantial advance."

Also taken to task by Mr. Roppolo was Deputy Chief Bourassa, who had retired from the Sturbridge Fire Department and was rehired on a temporary basis after Chief Senecal's retirement.

"The temporary deputy chief has not seen fire or had updated training in modern fire suppression in the better part of eight years. He has not been to the fire academy to get updated training and can only run a scene from what he remembers for over seven years ago before he retired," Mr. Roppolo wrote.

"The basic tactics of interior and exterior firefighting have not seen any type of dramatic evolution in the last seven years. The things that may have changed are accountability, programs and processes, none of which were in place on the previous administration, by the way," Mr. Creamer said. "In terms of him being able to manage a fire team, I am very confident that the vast experience that Ed Bourassa had will serve him and his department well in the event that there is a structure fire."

The Roppolo letter also claims some full-time and call firefighters lack proper qualifications and academy training. Mr. Creamer said it is completely disingenuous for Mr. Roppolo to suddenly be concerned about the lack of credentials that some call and some full-time firefighter have when those credentials have been absent for, in some cases, the last 10 to 12 years, including three under his watch as the union steward.

"Are there full-time firefighters and call firefighters who lack some of what is considered to be the basic credentials that a firefighter should have? Yes. That is absolutely true and I highlighted that back in February when I raised questions about the lack of training that is going on in the Fire Department. Any of the call members that have been put on the job during my tenure all had to go to the Massachusetts Firefighters Academy and earn Firefighter I and II certification," Mr. Creamer said. "Are we going to be able to fix all these problems overnight within the Fire Department? Absolutely not. But Chief Ford and Deputy Chief Bourassa are doing everything within their power to get these guys as qualified and as appropriately trained as rapidly as they can."

In addition, Mr. Suhoski said, he doesn't share Mr. Roppolo's opinion that leadership is unfit and firefighters' lives are at risk.

"I'm not looking into allegations of opinion which I disagree with," Mr. Suhoski said. "Anything that needs to be looked at will be looked at or has been."

Chief Ford said his department cannot comment on Mr. Roppolo's statements because it is against policy to discuss personnel matters.